POETRY IN CIRCLES
WITH JOSHUA BECKMAN
– by Ingrid Keir

A few months ago, I found this old book in my mother’s bookcase called First Principles of Verse by Robert Hillyer. It came from my grandfather’s extensive collection of books, and my mother gave it to me; she thought it may be of some use. As I opened the book, an article fell out of the book about the “breakdown of poetry.” Written in 1970, for the Los Angeles Times, Karl Shapiro writes about what he sees as the breakdown of poetry and literature, and charges Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan as the chief offenders as he says:

When critics and university students can no longer tell the difference between rock lyrics and the songs of Shakespeare...standards of good and inferior disappear; discrimination dies and the true artist goes in to hiding.

I started to ponder this and thought about how much of my own attraction to poetry is due to a feeling, an inspiration, and not so much the “where” the poet has come from (i.e. a prestigious university or publisher), but that something inside of me that says yes, yes, yes. I can honestly say I have learned more from those who have a talent for writing poetry, yet aren’t traditional academics, since they are more connected to what is real and tangible in life.

In the past few years, we have been blessed with our open mic events in San Francisco and New York as we welcome all types of poetry and foster the collaborative and experimental spirit. I believe the poet is an evolving artist, and reserves the right to be constantly changing. Our community keeps us charged with inspiration.

With all that said, I had the pleasure of doing a collaborative project with Joshua Beckman, one of my favorite poets. Instead of a standard interview, Joshua and I decided to use Shapiro’s article and my grandfather’s book to create an artist statement/poem. The first is my interviewer’s question to Joshua and the second two are his poem responses.

Foreward – Sent as a non-traditional interviewer question to Joshua from Ingrid

As I said in the Note to the
poet a
short cut
reading with a view to
possibility of
style
in harmony with
surface
Some wish to know
what changes
have been
revised
on poems
examples
illustrative
and included
readers
fellow-poets
that know
an exercise
completed
to serve as
poetry
delight in mumbo-jumbo
wasting pages
expressed
all the time
no duplicating
no system
all recognized
one can write
experience poetry
a guide
to that door
opening
I send my thanks and greetings

Diction – Joshua's reply

Let us take a lamp-shade
from a poet
a flat weakness
from a recent
experience
an
ethereal promotion
from a worn
solitude
a new
society
from a
flower’d
however
a Shelley
from a telescope
found
somewhere extreme
On the other hand
we should not by a too-clever word
pause over
a pity
“O mercy!”
we are an inclination
with inappropriate overtones unfortunate
grim and admirably fine
without calm but
suppose the last stanza had been written thus:
We toiled and went home
o’er, ’neath, ’mid, e’er,
once in a hundred years
one is seized with a
small shift the shift from
stands for
to
bird’s song or same key to
sheer height
prepare the way for
this subtle relation
then
rest

LA Times article: Joshua's poetry and artist statement.
Shapiro, Karl. “The New Poetry—a Literary Breakdown.” Los Angeles Times. Section E. April, 19, 1970.

The New Breakdown
20-odd beginnings
reached the point of
today all over no longer
no more
but what is really distressing is this
staggering
the floor sweep and swill
they fill
what want they feel
as far as I can tell
being done is being done
that modern universe
learned it from the radio
learned it from the ill
learned it from the first timers
armed to the teeth with this little wonder
they slam and stomp
but I heard of a hotel
in the desk
in the paper
I was a student
I had seen some big books
which bothered me
I tried to go away
one day I saw
a field
I went to the public library
in the little town I live in
in a desperate attempt
to succumb
as follows
The downhill speed of American
has been breathtaking
we are entertained with the
carnival of the love-torn alienates
the hidden message
becoming value
the answer to dismal pride
the swamp of revolution
the sight of a rock
the temptation
the aftermath
there were letters and phone calls
and a little wheel
saturated with
wild longing

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Click here to download a PDF file of the LA Times article.

Joshua Beckman was born in New Haven, CT. He is the author of five books, including Shake and two collaborations with Matthew Rohrer: Nice Hat. Thanks. and Adventures While Preaching the Gospel of Beauty. He is an editor at Wave Books and has translated numerous works of poetry and prose, including Poker by Tomaz Salamun, which was a finalist for the PEN America Poetry in Translation Award. He is also the recipient of numerous other awards, including a NYFA fellowship and a Pushcart Prize. He lives in Seattle, WA and New York, NY.